Author: SgtGrit

Slick Sleeve Comments

This was taken when I was home on leave from ITR in March of 1970.

These are the blues I bought at San Onefre. I was a PFC but they were out of stripes so I had to endure a lot of "slick sleeve" comments. My father John Grimes, in the center, was a 3rd Armored Division Combat Veteran from WWII who fought in every campaign in the European theatre. My great Uncle Chester Schank was a WWI Veteran. read more

Plane Captain Of The Month

Found this picture of an F9F-8T Cougar from H&MS 13 that was probably the same one I flew in the back seat in '63 when I made Plane Captain of the month. Although this pic was taken at Chu Lai, it's still the same H&MS 13 that my squadron, VMA 212, was a part of at Kaneohe Bay in 1963. They only had one Cougar trainer. That year, my squadron established an award to be designated "Plane Captain of the month" and I happened to be lucky enough to be the first one. Before I could actually fly, however, I had to take pressure chamber and ejection seat training at NAS Barber's Point. After that initial training I was ready for the flight. The pilot was a Captain from H&MS-13 and the hop was about an hour long. We did all the maneuvers including a loft bombing where he put it in a power dive from around 30,000 ft. and pulled back on the stick at about 6,000 ft. climbing back to altitude and flipping over, simulating special weapons delivery. I was watching the G meter climb to about 7 G's. I could hear the wings creaking like rusty hinges as my G suit filled up with bleed air. After that maneuver he let me take the stick. "Put your left wing down", he said, and I eased the stick left. Same thing with the right wing. So now I get a little confident and asked if I could try an aileron roll. "Go ahead if you think you can" says he. Now I'm feeling very confident, even though I wasn't a pilot (did that years later as a civilian), and I just whipped that stick over in my right lap. I didn't know that you have to give it a little nose up before entering an aileron roll. Nobody mentioned that part. Anyway, we were up around thirty thousand when I started the maneuver. I was looking straight up at the ocean getting closer and the airplane was not coming out of the roll. It was falling towards the water upside down. I still had the stick all the way over in a death grip, looking up at the ocean, watching the waves turn into whitecaps. The Captain said "Let Go Of The Stick". "Are You Sure You Got It Sir", says I. "Let Go Of The Godd-mn Stick" says he with more emphasis. So I let go, and he rolled out to level flight before we got wet. He didn't say a word to me after that all the way back to Kaneohe and after landing he got away from that plane post haste and left me in the fuel pits. At any rate, there was only one PC of the month after me. They discontinued it after that guy because he puked in his Oxygen mask. Made a h-ll of a mess so I hear. They discontinued the award after that. read more

Man Cave

My Man Cave/Office is where I spend most of my time during the day, I have an on-line marketing business that I am working on.

All of the items that I have collected, I try to keep as original as I can. For example my Dress Blues in the glass Display case, the field phone I have on my wall is the same as the phone I used in Vietnam in a village we patrolled when we were not attached out on assignment. One day myself and another Marine were surrounded in the village at Chu-Lai, and still don't know today why they just turned around and walked away. We had the phone set up in front of their Buddhist temple and I called headquarters and they sent 3 truckloads of Marines, we searched the huts, but they were all gone. That is the story on the phone. read more

New Book

Now Available – IN GARRISON by J. H. Hardin – A Service Memoir

J. H. Hardin is a "service mutt". He's an Air Force brat who spent his early childhood on military bases. In high school he joined the Army JROTC unit and spent each summer and many weekends at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. In 1978 he entered the Marine Corps where he served for 6 years. During that time, he spent 7 months deployed to an Army post, and 3 years aboard a Naval Base. He hadhis fingers in all the Armed Services. read more

4 Generations of Military Service

Originally posted on CNN site by my cousin Carolann Sharpe   

I wish to honor my son and husband for their uncommon and remarkable serves to our country. My son, Joseph Charles Sharpe recently graduated from Parris Island USMC Basic Training 3rd Batt. Kilo Company and has begun his career as a fourth generation Marine. Four generations ago, Joe's Great Grandfather was at Parris Island in KIlo Comp. His grandfather Charles Sharpe served as a US Marine. Joe's Father, My husband of 24 years, John M Sharpe, served in Desert Storm with 1st Tank Batt. 1st Marine Div and has served in Maryland National Guard and is currently a Staff Sgt in the Maryland Air National Guard as well as a Homeland Security Policeman. John has been away from his family for 3 to 8 months every year since 2007, including two 8 month deployments to Afghanistan. Joe's mom and three younger brothers could not be prouder of their father and brother's contribution to our country. Family friend Staff Sgt David Cook came to the Graduation to celebrate Joseph's accomplishment. I am so proud of my husband, my son and all the members of our family and friends that continue to selflessly give their all to the military. read more

Let Sgt Grit Engrave Something Personalized By You

Sgt Grit has always strived to stay a cut above the rest by offering high quality personalized engraving on such products as our KA-BARs, Cellphone Cases, Canteen Cups, Engravable Challenge Coins and much more.

Sgt Grit's Production Department has a 24″ x 18″ laser engraver and a diamond tip engraver at their disposal to carve your choice of personalization into many of our products. read more

Chesty Puller Remembered

The first time I remember hearing about Chesty Puller was when I was 15. I was 15 in 1971 when He passed away. At that time my father managed a 7-11 in northern Virginia. Dad had a young Marine that worked for him part time. It turned out that this Marine was assigned as a pallbearer for Marine funerals. It just so happened he was assigned as one of the pallbearers for General Pullers funeral. He was the one who told me who Chesty Puller was and it was 13 years before I became a Navy Corpsman that went to the green side and has never regretted it. read more